Top ME envoy: PA must accept two states for two peoples By JPOST.

COM STAFF AND TOVAH LAZAROFF 06/15/2011 11:04 In conversation with Netanyahu, Dennis Ross says that to restart negotiations, P alestinians must acknowledge Israel's existence. Talkbacks (1) Top US Middle East Adviser Dennis Ross, meeting with Prime Minister Binyamin Net anyahu on Wednesday, said that in order for negotiations to restart between Pale stinians and Israelis, the Palestinians must recognize the idea of two states fo r two peoples. Several top American and European officials, including Ross, German Foreign Mini ster Guido Westerwelle and acting US Middle East envoy David Hale were in Israel in a strong push to jump start the stalled peace process and thereby prevent Pa lestinian unilateral statehood at the United Nations in September. RELATED: US, EU officials in Israel work to stop Palestinian UN move White House adviser defends Obama peace talks stance Hill and Ross met with Netanyahu on Wednesday morning, and were scheduled to tra vel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian leaders later in the day. The effort is aimed at getting everyone back to the negotiating table, US State Department official.

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The trip is seen as building on the meetings Hale held with Palestinian Negotiat or Saeb Erekat and Netanyahu's special envoy Yitzhak Molcho in Washington last w eek. The US is eager to return to negotiations as the Palestinians make plans to approach the UN for a unilateral declaration of statehood in September. The Europeans have also looked to take more aggressive actions to give momentum to negotiations as an alternative to the Palestinians going to the UN. EU foreig n policy chief Catherine Ashton recently sent US Secretary of State Hillary Clin ton and other principles of the Quartet the US, EU, UN and Russia a letter calling or a strong international push for relaunching talks this summer.